


Choosing a Legacy

by supernovainparadise



Series: Silver Blood, Golden Heart [1]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, BUT DAMMIT HE LOVED DRACO MORE THAN HE LOVED HIMSELF, Bullying, Good Lucius Malfoy, Gryffindor Draco Malfoy, HE'S NOT AN ABUSER, Hatstalls (Harry Potter), Hogwarts First Year, M/M, Not the best father, The Sorting Hat, by any means
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-26
Updated: 2019-04-01
Packaged: 2019-12-18 10:51:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,212
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18248366
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/supernovainparadise/pseuds/supernovainparadise
Summary: For most of his life, 11-year-old Draco Malfoy has been certain that he will end up in Slytherin like his parents, and his grandparents, and his grandparents' parents... But when he sits on that stool and feels the sorting hat slip over his eyes, he finds that perhaps his path isn't quite as set as he thought it was, and his entire life begins to shift in a completely different direction. Now torn away from everything he thought he had, Draco is forced to rethink everything he's been taught and to fight through old prejudices that may have been appropriate among the Slytherins, but among the Gryffindors would earn him a one-way ticket to being ignored in the common room, and sitting in the back of the class. Now doubtful, and mildly terrified, Draco must find a way to answer the question the Sorting hat raised in him on that very first day, "how will I build my legacy?"





	1. The Sorting Hat

**Author's Note:**

> Relationship tag doesn't quite apply yet, but it will later down the line and I'd rather not receive any backlash for not putting it on earlier. I'll do a separate fic, each a few chapters long which usually include the most important events, for each year. It'll be easier for me to keep track of later down the line without having a massive unfinished story just sitting in my works, and it also makes it a little more binge-able. Just FYI; I kinda suck at updating, either it's consistent or it's nonsensical. The chapters for this book will cover the sorting ceremony and beginning of the first year when Draco befriends the golden trio (Norbert incident), and the philosophers stone, and possibly a few in between moments.

"I think I can tell who are the wrong sort for myself, thanks," Harry said coolly, not taking Draco's outstretched hand.

Draco flushed and lowered his hand. He briefly considered saying something, but thought better of it and leaped down the steps, Crabbe and Goyle just behind him. Just as they reached a spot in the crowd of first years, the doors to the great hall sprung open, and McGonagall lead them down the center towards a raised dais where the teacher's table was. She stepped up the stairs and paused next to a four-legged stool with an old, patched hat sitting on it. Draco straightened a little bit; his father had told him all about the sorting hat, of course. But he couldn't help that his heart was beating a little faster than usual, or that nagging thought in the back of his head saying;  _what if you aren't in Slytherin_ _?_ Draco pushed that thought aside; how could he be anything but Slytherin?

The hall fell silent as everyone turned their attention to the hat, and a large tear opened above the brim, and the hat began to sing.

_"Oh, you may not think I'm pretty,_

_But don't judge on what you see,_

_I'll eat myself if you can find_

_A smarter hat than me._

_You can keep your bowlers black,_

_Your top hats sleek and tall,_

_For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat_

_And I can cap them all._

_There's nothing hidden in your head_

_The Sorting Hat can't see,_

_So try me on and I will tell you_

_Where you ought to be._

_You might belong in Gryffindor,_

_Where dwell the brave at heart,_

_Their daring, nerve, and chivalry_

_Set Gryffindors apart;_

_You might belong in Hufflepuff,_

_Where they are just and loyal,_

_Those patient Hufflepuffs are true_

_And unafraid of toil;_

_Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,_

_If you've a ready mind,_

_Where those of wit and learning,_

_Will always find their kind;_

_Or perhaps in Slytherin_

_You'll make your real friends,_

_Those cunning folk use any means_

_To achieve their ends._

_So put me on! Don't be afraid!_

_And don't get in a flat!_

_You're in safe hands (though I have none)_

_For I'm a thinking cap!"_

The hall burst into applause as the hat fell silent once more, and a few students whistled loudly. The hat bowed to all four tables, before becoming stiff and still once more. Draco leaned back to where Crabbe and Goyle stood behind him and whispered, "save the best for last, right?" The others sniggered a little under their breath and Draco stood up straight with a smirk. They watched as McGonagall pulled a list out of her robes, and turned towards the first years. She unfurled it, and read the first name on the list; "Abbott, Hannah!"

A young girl with straight blonde hair walked onto the stage, legs shaking. She sat on the stool, and McGonagall placed the hat on her head. A moment's pause then... "HUFFLEPUFF!" the hat shouted. A table on the left of the hall burst into applause, and Hannah stood, grinning, and walked over before sitting next to a couple of her new housemates. McGonagall cleared her throat and continued down the list. Both Crabbe and Goyle were sorted into Slytherin, the Granger girl that Draco had seen pestering Harry and Ron earlier was a Gryffindor, and the name right before his (MacDougal, Morag) was called, and sorted into Ravenclaw. As she sat at her table, McGonagall called, "Malfoy, Draco!"

Draco stepped confidently up the stairs, trying to ignore the shaking in his hands as he sat on the stool. McGonagall placed the hat on his head and it fell over his eyes. For a moment, the hat was quiet. Then, Draco heard a soft voice in his ear.

"Well, well. It's been many years since I've sorted someone from the Malfoy family." The hat whispered. "And many more years since I haven't immediately placed one of them in Slytherin."

 _What do you mean_ _?_ Draco thought, his blood running cold.

"I mean that, typically, most of your family shows predominately Slytherin traits. And while you certainly have a few, there's something undeniably  _not_ Slytherin here," said the hat.

 _That can't be right._ Draco thought, a shiver running down his spine.

"But it is. You may have been raised to believe what many Slytherins believe but beneath that... Beneath that is someone else entirely. Someone brave, and dare I say even Heroic," the hat said. "Someone completely different than the person you've always expected to be."

 _But I've always thought..._ Draco began, but then he paused,  _What would happen, hypothetically, if I were to act on those other traits? Where would you place me?_

"Those underlying traits are something I have often seen in Gryffindor. But even so, there is enough here to place you in Slytherin, if that is where you truly think you belong." the hat whispered.

 _And... And what if I'm not sure now?_ Draco thought. He could hear the crowd around him starting to get restless, and wondered how long he'd been up there.

"That is not unexpected. You remind me very much of another boy I sorted, many years ago. A cousin of yours actually, who was certain he would be in Slytherin... until he put me on his head."

 _I know him. Sirius Black. ... Didn't he murder a bunch of muggles?_ Draco thought, feeling more uncertain than ever.

"Did he?" the hat whispered, but Draco got the feeling it was less uncertainty, and more than it was trying to elicit doubt about the statement.

Draco shook it off, and thought  _Well, how am I supposed to decide? Isn't that your job?_

"Perhaps." The hat said, amused. "I will pose you one question, and your answer shall determine which house I place you in. And I assure you, Mr. Malfoy, that it will be the right house. You will find that you have chosen the correct path in time." The hat cleared its throat, and asked, "Would you rather continue a legacy, or create your own?"

Draco paused. Which  _would_ he rather do? Continuing the legacy built for him would certainly be the easiest, but Draco never did like to take the easy route. Creating his own was... unpredictable, and could very well end in his portrait being burned from the family tree or even his death by certain relatives. But... if he chose to create his own legacy, he would have complete control for the first time in his life. Complete freedom from his parents' opinion, and the ability to redeem the name "Malfoy" from being a family of death eaters and dark wizards to something else.

And Draco knew his answer.

 _I want to build my own legacy. I want to be different._ Draco thought to the hat.

The hat chuckled, and said, "Mr. Malfoy, that is a sign of unrelenting bravery and courage. And the brave and courageous undoubtedly belong in GRYFFINDOR!" the hat shouted the last word to the entire hall, and McGonagall lifted the hat off his head. The hall was silent for a moment before a few people at the Gryffindor burst into applause.

"TAKE THAT, LUCIUS MALFOY!" a red-headed boy shouted, while his twin whistled loudly and a young man with braided hair applauded with gusto. After a moment, the rest of Gryffindor seemed to collectively shrug and burst into applause as Draco walked down the stairs, his legs feeling like jelly. He could feel the Slytherins glaring holes into his back as he sat next to another red-head with glasses, who had moved over to make space for him. He smiled gently and extended his hand to Draco.

"I'm Percy Weasley, your perfect," he said.

Draco smiled, trying to ignore his pounding heart, and shook his hand. "Draco Malfoy."

The twins who had been the first to applaud grinned at him from across the table. "I'm Fred, and this is George," said the one who had spoken. Draco offered them a pale smile, feeling happy that they were so welcoming, and conflicted as to how his father would react when he got the news.

"I can't believe you were a hatstall," a pretty young woman said from next to the twins. "I don't think there's been one in ages."

"A hatstall?" Draco asked nervously, as the hat called "HUFFLEPUFF" from the dais.

"When the hat deliberates for more than five minutes. I think you were up there for almost six." Percy said smartly, his eyes at the teacher's table.

Draco opened his mouth to ask something else, when McGonagall called "Potter, Harry!" and the hall fell silent as everyone craned their neck to get a look at the black haired boy who was walking up the stairs with shaky legs. He sat on the stool and the hat was placed on his head. All was quiet for maybe two minutes then the hat yelled "GRYFFINDOR!" and Harry stood up as McGonagall took the hat off. He walked over and sat on the other side of the twins. Draco quickly looked at his hands, remembering their earlier conversations and feeling his ears go red. Before he wouldn't have thought anything of it, but now it felt like everything had suddenly shifted. He glanced up, and Harry (to Draco's surprise) gave him a nod and a nervous little smile. Draco returned it and watched as a few more students clambered onto the stage. Ron Weasley was sorted into Gryffindor and sat next to Harry. He and Draco made brief eye contact but said nothing. Blaise Zabini was sorted in Slytherin, as Draco Expected, and McGonagall cleared the dais and took a seat. Dumbledore stood, said a few things that Draco didn't quite catch through the blood rushing in his ears, and the feast appeared on the table in front of them. 

After the feast and Dumbledore's warnings about the Forbidden Forest and the Third Floor Corridor, he and the other Gryffindors dutifully followed Percy and the other prefect up to the dormitory, which he shared with Harry, Ron, Neville Longbottom, Dean Thomas, and Seamus Finnigan. WIthout much chatter, they all changed and curled up in bed. Part of Draco wanted to cry, while the other part was ecstatic. He figured he'd write his parents in the morning; the other boys seemed to be struggling with the spell to put out the lights, so Draco grabbed his own wand off the end table and whispered, "Nox" and the lights blinked out.

"Thanks." he heard Harry whisper. And shortly after, they all fell fast asleep, awaiting the adventures that would come over the next year.


	2. Norbert

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Draco Malfoy never thought he'd be having difficulty making friends at Hogwarts; but after being sorted in Gryffindor instead of Slytherin, he finds that it's much harder than he thought, especially when he no can't rely on his family's name any longer. Lucky for him, Draco's always had an unusual curiosity in dragons, and even more lucky it seems our heroes may have gotten involved with some hair-brained scheme involving one.

Draco had somehow managed to find a quiet corner in the common room to study, away from where the Weasley twins were entertaining a group of other first years with some charm and the usual chatter by the fireplace. He didn't mind the noise, typically, but he was feeling rather anxious about exams and felt that he should get some studying in, just in case. He glanced up from his books as a particularly loud "ooh!' issued from where the circle around the twins was.

Of course, there was another good reason Draco wasn't among the others. While most of Gryffindor tolerated him (some of the older students often let him sit with them), much of them simply ignored Draco, and he didn't have any friends. He didn't want to butt in on the other first years and risk being pushed further away from them. So, instead, Draco kept to himself. However, the feeling of loneliness and his irritation at the noise seemed to be getting the better of him today, so Draco simply gathered his things and headed to the library. When he got down there, he saw Harry, Hermione, and Ron crowded around a small stack of books at one table. For a brief moment, he considered joining them, but then figured he'd likely be quite unwelcome and instead took a seat a few tables away. He pulled out his book and parchment and returned to the work he'd been doing in the common room before. After a few minutes of working, Draco heard them conversing with someone and glanced up to see them talking to Hagrid, who looked rather out of place in the library. He decided to ignore them and focused on his work, and after about an hour or so, he finished and left. 

Maybe a week later, Draco was eating breakfast down at the Great Hall. As the owls flew in to deliver the mail (Draco received a brief letter from home; his parents sent their love), he noticed Hedwig sweep down and drop a small note in front of Harry. She stole a bit of his bacon and then flew off again. Curious, Draco shifted himself a little closer to the trio so he could hear what they were saying. He heard Ron suggest that they skip Herbology, which Hermione was deeply set against.

"C'mon Hermione!" Ron moaned. "How many people ever get to see a dragon hatching?"

"Even so, we should focus on our lessons, exams are only 6 weeks away!" Hermione bit back.

Draco felt his heart skip a beat. A dragon hatching? What on earth were they up to? Trying to avoid suspicion, Draco scooted back to his original spot, feeling his pulse quicken a bit as he bolted down his eggs, then headed off to herbology, silently hoping that the others did too so he could follow them afterward. He knew he shouldn't, but Ron was right, How many people ever get to see a dragon hatching? Sure enough, 10 minutes later, the trio came into the greenhouse looking a little jumpy. Professor Sprout was going on about some sort of rare flower, but Draco was hardly listening, he was so excited. Sure, there was a massive risk of being caught by the trio and as a result, remaining an outcast in Gryffindor forever, but that was well worth it in Draco's opinion. After Herbology Draco lingered a little bit behind while the trio was the first out the door. After determining the distance between them was sufficient enough that they wouldn't notice him following, he left the greenhouse and began to head after the silhouettes of the trio ahead of him. Before long, he saw that they were entering Hagrid's hut and he slowed his walk a bit. As he reached the gate, which he pulled open as quietly as he could, he bent down and crept up beneath the one window that had a crack in the curtain. He had to straighten up and stand on his tiptoes to see inside.

Sitting on the table, surrounded by Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Hagrid was a large black egg, with a few deep cracks in it. Draco held his breath and watched as the egg shook, and part of it suddenly started to break away. And then, with one last shove from the dragon, a large chunk of the egg fell off and a small, scaly head poked up through. With a little struggling, the dragon broke the rest of the egg apart and stood, shaking itself out. Wings too large for its little body spread out and the dragon let out a small, but lively squeak. Draco stood up a little taller to get a better look, and just as he did, Harry glanced towards the window. He watched as Harry's eyes widened, and Draco stumbled back away from the window, knowing he was caught. Scrambling back into the pumpkin patch, Draco felt his foot catch on a vine and went tumbling backward, landing hard on his back. Just as he was trying to sort himself up so he could run back towards the castle, the door burst open and Hagrid and Harry started towards him. His heart felt like it was going to beat out of his chest, and Draco desperately scrambled backward, but Hagrid said "I don' think so!" and grabbed him gently by the hood of his cloak.

Legs shaking and face warm, Draco looked up at Hagrid with guilt pooling in the bottom of his stomach. He'd done it now; he was going to be hated by everyone in Gryffindor- no, everyone in the _school_. He felt his eyes start to sting, and looked quickly at his feet; the last thing he wanted was to humiliate himself in front of Harry. 

Just as Draco was certain he was about to lose everything, Harry spoke up.

"Hagrid, wait," he said, and the groundskeeper turned to look at him. "Maybe... maybe we should let Malfoy see it?"

"Let Malfoy... how do ya know he won' go runnin' off ter Snape about it?" Hagrid grunted, frowning.

"I think he just wants to see it. Besides, he's a Gryffindor; Snape probably won't believe him anyway." Harry insisted while Draco nodded vigorously in agreement.

Hagrid hesitated for a moment, before letting Draco go and waving him into the hut. Draco, who couldn't believe his luck, sprinted inside with Harry at his heels. Ron and Hermione looked somewhat surprised to see him, but then Hermione smiled a little at him and stepped aside so Draco could stand next to her. Draco quickly did so, trying to ignore the glare Ron sent his way.

As Harry stood next to Ron, Draco watched him lean over and heard him whisper loudly, "are you sure we should let Malfoy in on this?"

Malfoy leveled a cold glare at Ron, but after a moment looked away, biting back the retort he'd had on the tip of his tongue and watching the dragon nip at Hagrid, who cooed softly at it in response. All was silent for a moment before Draco said, "what are you naming it, Hagrid?"

"Norbert. He's a-"

"Norwegian Ridgeback, right?" Draco finished, earning surprised looks from the rest of the group. "I used to read books about dragons all the time when I was little. I was practically obsessed with them; I'd beg my father to buy me as many books on them as he could find. He'd always bring me a new one back every time he went on a trip for the Ministry."

"Probably because of your name, right?" Hermione said smartly. Draco nodded, and everything went quiet again.

Over the next few weeks, Draco spent more and more time with the Trio and helped Hagrid take care of Norbert. However, all four of them were quick to agree that Norbert was becoming trouble. One day, after Ron had gone to help Hagrid, he came back with a sour face and a handkerchief wrapped around his bloody hand.

"We've got trouble," Ron said, sitting next to Draco in the Great Hall, and grabbing a sandwich and some crisps with his good hand.

"What do you mean?" Draco asked.

"Well for starters," Ron said, "the bloody thing bit me!" He indicated his hand, and then said, "but that's not all. I think Theo Nott saw Norbert."

Harry and Hermione both groaned, and Draco scowled a bit. Ever since he'd been sorted into Gryffindor, Theodore Nott, a first-year Slytherin who's parents were close with the Malfoy's had been going out of his way to bully Draco, and he'd been taunting Harry, Ron, and Hermione as well. If Theo had seen Norbert, you bet he was going to use him to get all of them in trouble. 

That settled it for them; that evening they came up with a plan to send Norbert to Charlie and sent a letter. A week later, Charlie said that he'd send Norbert his way with a couple of friends, and everything seemed to be going well, until Ron's hand had swollen to the size of a baseball and turned bright green, requiring him to go to the hospital wing. Hermione was terrified to be caught, so Draco offered to bring Norbert up to the astronomy tower for pick-up. All went well, and before long Norbert was long gone. They were heading down the stairs, practically skipping, when they found themselves face to face with Argus Filch, who had Theo by the ear.

"Well, well, well... Three first years in one night. It's my lucky day."

Harry and Draco had left the invisibility cloak at the top of the tower.


	3. The Forbidden Forest

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Draco has to admit that he might be a little bit of a troublemaker. But despite that, he didn't expect to be wandering the Forbidden forest with Harry Potter on a Friday night, just before exams. Of course, while it wasn't precedented, it isn't undeserved, and he is well aware of that. But towards the end of the night, things start to go awry, and Draco realizes that perhaps accidentally befriending The Boy Who Lived may lead towards more adventure than he ever hoped to find.

Draco pulled his cloak a little tighter around him, trying to stave off the chilly night air. Despite how close it was to summer, and how warm it was during the day, the nights in the mountains of Scotland could be a bit brutal. But even for the typical spring night, it was particularly cold as Draco, Harry, Neville, and Theo made their way across the grounds behind Filch, towards Hagrid's hut and the dark forest beyond it. Filch was going on about punishment, but Draco was trying his best not to listen to him. The shame of losing Gryffindor 50 points, just after he'd managed to make himself a home within the house had been enough punishment. While Draco had never been very popular, to begin with, some of the others went out of their way to antagonize him; pushing him into walls, hissing insults about him and his family behind his back, and "accidentally" severing his book bag which he had repaired several times now. He wasn't entirely alone though; the whole mess with the dragon had basically ensured his friendship with Ron, Hermione, and Harry, and although Harry and Hermione accepted him quickly enough, Ron still seemed a little doubtful of him, likely due to the bad blood between their families. On the other hand, while Percy seemed to be ignoring him, Fred and George often shook his hand in the hall or common room, and loudly proclaim about how impressed they were with Draco and the other's troublemaking. It almost made the disagreements between their fathers feel pettier than ever.

Speaking of which, Draco had never felt more grateful for his. He had sent the letters with the bare-bones of what had happened (conveniently forgetting to mention the dragon) and had expected a howler in return. Instead, he'd gotten a surprisingly gently worded letter in return, which stated the following:

_Dear Draco,_

_While I cannot say that I am overly pleased with your actions, I am merely glad that you have been making friends at Hogwarts. While things did not quite turn out the way I envisioned for you, I am glad that you have managed to find your own way. I was rather worried about sending you to school, despite everything I had experienced. Call it sentimentality, but it was rather hard to let my only child go. However, you have managed to allay most of those fears, and I am still proud of you._

_As for your recent run-ins with Mr. Nott, be assured that I will speak to his parents. It does seem to me that you can likely handle him on your own, and probably will, but if he gives you more grief I do hope that you will let me know. I will not tolerate having someone bully my son._

_I am glad that you have been enjoying your lessons, and I'm relieved that potions has been going well for you despite your new affiliation. Once again, let me know if Severus gives you any trouble. I am not surprised to hear about your good marks in so far in Charms either; your mother has always had a certain affinity for them. Speaking of which, she sends all her love, as do I._

_With love,_

_Your Father, Lucius_

The letter had, whether intentionally or not, made Draco feel much better about everything, and he caught himself rereading it after particularly poor days. He'd reread it again today, and a small part of him wished he'd brought it with him. Before long, the four of them reached Hagrid's hut, where Hagrid was waiting with his crossbow over his shoulder, and Fang at his side.

"Alrigh' there 'Arry? Draco?" he asked cheerfully, and both boys nodded nervously back at him. 

"I wouldn't get too friendly if I were you, Hagrid." Filch hissed, "This is supposed to be a punishment after all."

"Spent te 'ole way across te grounds lecturin' 'em, did ye? S'not yer place to do that." Hagrid frowned down at Filch, who largely ignored him.

"I'll be back in the morning for what's left of them," he said nastily, before heading back up towards the castle.

Hagrid divided them into two groups, putting Neville with Malfoy, and Theo with Harry. Draco and Neville took Fang, while Harry and Theo went with Hagrid. Neville didn't say much as they followed the trail, looking through the trees and at the ground for Unicorn blood, as they were looking for the creature that had been injured. They were having little to no luck, and Draco was getting rather bored. He turned and glanced to his right, where he saw a much smaller path leading into the woods. Curious, Draco approached it and began to follow it. Neville stopped at the edge and watched him for a moment before speaking.

"Didn't... didn't Hagrid say to stay on the trails?" he said, voice quivering a little.

Draco shrugged. "Maybe, but we aren't finding anything on the trail." He continued deeper into the forest, and after a moment Neville followed after him.

The further they went, the darker and colder the forest went. Neville followed quite close to Draco, who mostly ignored him and focused on searching for unicorn blood. After several minutes of walking, Draco paused and listened for a moment. Somewhere in front of him, he heard a strange slithering sound. Neville panicked and sent red sparks rushing into the sky, scaring whatever it was off. Draco resisted the urge to curse at Neville, and they both ran back the way they came. When they reached the main path, Hagrid was standing there, looking rather angry. He grabbed Draco by the collar and headed back to where Harry and Theo were waiting.

"Alrigh'. You two stay together with Fang, and Nott and I will go with Neville.  _Stay on the trail_." He said, before heading off with Theo in tow. Harry gave Draco a searching look, and Draco shrugged.

"We weren't finding anything, so I decided to try somewhere else." Draco explained, and Harry didn't press.

They continued deeper into the forest and the trail of blood that Harry had been following seemed to be getting thicker. Draco quietly thought to himself that it was unlikely that the unicorn was still alive. After a while of walking, they stepped into a dark clearing that was lit only by the moon. At the other end, something white shined in the light. Draco and Harry stepped closer, to see that it was indeed the unicorn, and as Draco had predicted, it was dead. The clearing was silent for a minute, then something slithered out of the underbrush, and began to drink the unicorn's blood.

Draco, stumbled backward in fear, as did Harry. As they did so, the creature lifted its head and they could see unicorn blood dripping from its maw. Terror overtook Draco, and his feet picked him up on his own, and he turned and fled back into the forest and towards Hagrid's hut. He didn't stop until he got there, and once he did, he fell to his knees gasping for air. After he managed to get his bearings, he felt guilty for leaving Harry behind. He hoped Harry was okay, and quietly sat on Hagrid's porch to wait. He sat there for nearly an hour, with Fang (who had fled when Draco had) sitting quietly next to him. Before long, the others came out of the forest, looking quite shaken. He and Harry walked back up to the castle together as dawn began to break over the mountains.

"I'm sorry for leaving you behind," Draco said quietly.

"It's okay," said Harry. "I tried to run too."

They didn't say anything else, but a quiet kind of understanding fell over them. It wasn't until they were in the common room and Neville had headed to bed, that Harry turned towards Draco again.

"I... I'm not sure," he began, "but I think that was You-Know-Who we saw in the forest."

"You think that was-" Draco began,  before shaking his head lightly. "Harry, if that was You-Know-Who, then that means we're all in grave danger."

Harry hesitated, and then filled him in on everything they'd learned about the Sorcerers stone. Draco seemed shocked and impressed that they had figured it all out on their own, and as Harry turned to go back upstairs, Draco gently grabbed the other boy by the shoulder.

"Wait. I don't know what you've managed to get yourselves mixed up in, but whatever it is..." Draco paused, "I want to help. I won't let you face it alone."

Harry smiled at him, looking a little less tired than he had before. "Thanks, Draco." 

And with that, the pair headed back up to the dormitory to get some sleep before class.


	4. The Sorcerer's Stone

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Draco Malfoy's first year wasn't what he expected it to be. As opposed to being sorted into Slytherin and studying while he explored the castle, he finds himself smuggling an illegal dragon through the castle, encountering He-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named in the Forbidden Forest, and now in the depths of the castle, trying to protect the sorcerer's stone from the most powerful evil wizard of all time. But, beyond all that, he's made three irreplaceable friends, and he's willing to risk his life for them. That's the sort of thing a Gryffindor is supposed to do, right?

Draco held his breath as Harry slowly creaked the door to the third-floor corridor open. Beyond it, he could hear all three of Fluffy's heads snoring away. He still couldn't quite believe he was allowing himself to get in the middle of this mess; a few months ago he never would have dreamed he'd be doing something like this. And yet, here he was, helping in a hair-brained scheme that would likely end with all four of them getting expelled. That thought drilled a pit in the bottom of his stomach; he could visualize the disappointed expressions on his parents' faces when they received the letter informing them of his expulsion. But then he thought of what would happen if Voldemort got the stone, and decided that he would much rather face that disappointment than face the Dark Lord.

Slowly, the four of them crept inside the room, and Harry began playing a little tune on his owl flute. Fluffy, who had started to wake up as they entered, immediately began snoring again. As Harry played, Draco tiptoed over to the trap door and pulled it open. Harry and the others carefully stepped up beside him. Harry pointed down into the trap door, and then at himself. They glanced up at him, confused for a moment before Hermione figured it out.

"You want to go first?" she whispered. Harry nodded and passed the flute to Draco. In the brief moment, Fluffly growled, but he picked up a simple little tune and he began to snore once more.

Harry took a deep breath, and Draco and the others watched as he disappeared into the darkness. A moment passed, and then...

"It's okay to jump!" Harry called up. "The landing's soft!"

Ron was the next to jump down into the hole, followed by Hermione, and then Draco. Draco stopped playing, tucked the flute into his robes and leaped. Behind him, he could hear Fluffy growl loudly, but long before he could do anything, Draco hit the bottom of the pit, bouncing a little as he did so. It felt like he had landed in a giant pile of vines... which probably would've been preferable.

"We're lucky this plant was here to break our fall," said Ron, moving to get up.

"Lucky?!" Draco said indignantly. "Look at yourself!"

Sure enough, the plant was slowly wrapping around Ron, Harry, Hermione, and Draco's limbs, and it tightened with every movement they made.

"I know what this is!" Hermione said. "It's Devil's Snare! They don't like fire!"

"Then light a fire!" Draco snapped.

"Of course!" Hermione began, then hesitated. "... There's no wood!"

"WOOD?! ARE YOU A WITCH OR NOT?!" Ron howled as the plant tightened its grip.

Hermione muttered something, and a jet of bright blue flames erupted from the end of her wand. The plant retreated, releasing them, and they were quick to move to the next room. They paused to take a breather, and as they did so, Draco glanced up at the ceiling and found himself gaping in amazement. Fluttering above them were dozens of jewel winged birds, reflecting candlelight off their wings. After a moment, the others followed his gaze. Harry stopped to think for a moment, then looked to the others.

"Best to make a run for it?' he asked.

The other three nodded, and they darted across the room with their arms over their heads, expecting to feel sharp beaks and claws, but felt nothing. They paused by the door, and Harry tried to open it, only to find it locked. Hermione tried the unlocking charm, but that didn't work either. They turned to look back up at the birds when Draco noticed something. The candlelight wasn't glinting off their wings, it was glinting off of  _keys_. He glanced to one side and saw 3 worn brooms. He pointed all this out to his companions, and after a moment of discussion, Draco turned to look at the handle.

"We're looking for an old key, probably a little battered, and silver like the handle," he said.

Draco, Harry, and Ron all took a broom (Hermione wasn't too keen on flying) and flew up among the keys, darting around and looking for the right one. It was, to no one's surprise, Harry who found it, though it proved to be quite difficult to catch, even with all of them trying. After a few minutes of failure and the sense that they were losing time, Harry came up with a plan.

"Ron, you go at it from below. Draco, you from above. I'll grab it from the side." Harry said. Draco and Ron nodded, and they all got into position.

Draco dived down, Ron flew up, and Harry came in from the side. There was a nasty crunch as he pinned it to the wall, and they all landed. Harry shoved the Key into the lock, and the door swung open. He released the key, and the four of them darted into the next room. In front of them was a huger chessboard, complete with large chess pieces. As expected, Ron quickly took control in this aspect, though no one really minded as he was easily the best of their group at chess. There were a few dicey moves, but it was clear they were likely going to win.

All was quiet as Ron looked over the remaining pieces, a look of deep concentration on his face. Then, with a face as white as a sheet, he spoke.

"I know how to win," he said. "I've got to let the queen take me."

The other three let out cries of protest, but Ron snapped back. "It's chess! You have to make some sacrifices to win. After that, Harry, you can checkmate the king and keep going."

Sure enough, Ron stepped forward and the white queen hit him on the back of the head. Hermione let out a scream but didn't move, and Draco watched in mute terror as Ron was dragged to the side. Harry stepped forward and checkmated the king. They walked towards the door, but Hermione suddenly stopped.

"You guys go on; I'll stay here with Ron and make sure he's okay," she said. Harry and Draco looked at each other, and then steeled themselves and walked into the next room. As soon as they crossed the threshold, violet flames sprung up behind them and black flames ahead, blocking the path.

They stepped down into the room, where seven potion bottles were lined up neatly, with a poem scribbled on a piece of parchment in front of them.

"Snape's puzzle," Harry muttered. "It's going to be almost impossible, I'm sure."

Draco picked up the poem and read:

_Danger lies before you, while safety lies behind,_

_Two of us will help you, whichever you would find,_

_One among us seven will let you move ahead,_

_Another will transport the drinker back instead,_

_T_ _wo among our number hold only nettle wine,_

_Three of us are killers, waiting hidden in line._

_C_ _hoose, unless you wish to stay here for evermore,_

_To help you in your choice, we give you these clues four:_

_First, however slyly the poison tries to hide_

_Y_ _ou will always find some on nettle wine’s left side;_

_Second, different are those who stand at either end,_

_But if you would move onwards, neither is your friend;_

_Third, as you see clearly, all are different size,_

_Neither dwarf nor giant holds death in their insides;_

_Fourth, the second left and the second on the right_

_Are twins once you taste them, though different at first sight._

Draco suddenly laughed quietly to himself. Harry gave him an odd look, and he turned towards his friend, grinning. "It's not impossible, it's  _logic_. There are plenty of talented wizards who don't have an ounce of logic; they'd be stuck here forever."

Draco stepped up to the bottles and frowned. "My father used to entertain me with puzzles just like this; to keep me out of his hair for a few hours. Unfortunately for him, I got good at them pretty fast."

Draco frowned at the potions; the first was a smoky grey color, while the second was a brilliant red. The third was a tiny blue bottle, the forth a tall amber glass. The fifth was a stout green bottle, and the fifth a large black bottle. The seventh was a small, round purple bottle. He tapped his foot and thought. Very quickly he deduced that the second and sixth bottle were both nettle wine, which meant that either the first and fifth were poison. That meant that there was still one bottle of poison and the potion that would bring them forward, along with the one that would bring them back. Given that the tiny blue bottle was the "dwarf", it meant that it would either bring them forward or back. He paused and glanced down at the poem again, and realized that the seventh bottle would take them back. This made the fourth bottle poison, and the third the one that would take them forward.

He nodded resolutely, then turned to Harry. "I've got it. The small blue one will take us forward, and the round purple one will take us back."

"Are you certain?" Harry said. Draco double checked his work, then nodded. Harry picked up the small blue bottle and frowned at it."There's only enough for one of us."

Draco bit his lower lip, then turned to look at him. "You take it. I'll go back, check on Ron and Hermione and owl Dumbledore."

Harry hesitated for a moment, then looked up at Draco. "Thank you," he said, his voice hoarse.

"Thank me by saving the stone," Draco replied. He hesitated a moment, then reached forward and squeezed Harry's hand. Then, he grabbed the bottle and took a large swig. He felt as though someone had poured ice through his veins. He shivered and then stepped up and back through the violet flames. As he looked back through them, he saw Harry step past the black fire, and felt an odd chill run down his spine.

* * *

A few days later, after Harry had saved the stone from Voldemort and recovered fully from the encounter, Draco was sitting across from him in the Great Hall, which was decked in green and silver to celebrate Slytherin's win of the house cup (to nobody's surprise). After an excellent meal, and a little bit of moping at the Gryffindor table, the food was cleared away and Dumbledore stood and raised his hands for silence. He smiled out at the students, all looking quietly up at him.

"Well, another wonderful year of learning has come to an end at Hogwarts. Exams are done, as are all our adventures." He glanced at Ron, Hermione, Harry, and Draco as he said this. "And, as such, I have the pleasure of awarding the House Cup this year. In fourth place, with 312 points, is Gryffindor!" there was a weak smattering of applause from their table. "In third, with 352 points, is Hufflepuff!" The applause from the Hufflepuffs was a little more enthusiastic, though not by much. "In second, with 426 points, is Ravenclaw!" In comparison to the last sets of applause, Ravenclaw was quite enthusiastic. "And finally, in first place, with 472 points, is Slytherin!' The applause from the Slytherins shook the great hall, and it took a good minute or so for them to settle down. Dumbledore waited politely for the chatter to die down, before speaking again. "However, recent events must be taken into consideration." Draco noticed that the smiles from the Slytherins seemed to wither a bit. "Firstly, for the best-played game of chess Hogwarts has seen in many years, I award Ron Weasley 50 points." There was a large, if a little dampened, bout of applause at this. "Secondly, for remembering everything her teachers have told her and using her lessons in the face of danger, I award Hermione Granger 50 points." The applause was much louder at this, and Hermione buried her face in her arms. "Thirdly, for the use of cool logic in the face of fire, I award Draco Malfoy 50 points." Gryffindor was now stomping their feet and yelling loudly. Draco felt his face heat up but grinned nonetheless. "Fourth, for staying true to himself when faced with a difficult choice, I award Harry Potter 10 points." Gryffindor was practically screaming at the point; they were now tied with Slytherin for the house cup.

Dumbledore smiled and spoke just above the noise. "And finally, it takes a lot of courage to stand up to our enemies, but much more to stand up to our friends. For this, I award Neville Longbottom 10 points."

You'd have thought the great hall was going to collapse from the noise. Gryffindor had just won the house cup.

* * *

By the next morning, everyone's trunk was packed, and before long they were all on the train, rocketing back towards London. They passed through the barrier, and Draco glanced up to see his parents standing there. His father was, as expected, embroiled in a glaring context with Mr. Weasley, but to his surprise, his mother seemed to have engaged in polite, if a little stiff, conversation with Mrs. Weasley. They looked up as their kids walked up, and Lucius smiled softly at Draco as he stepped up beside him.

"New scarf?" Malfoy joked as he tugged gently on the end of the red and gold scarf hanging around Draco's neck.

"You could say that," Draco responded, smiling softly.

Ron waved him over, and he stepped away from his father for a minute to stand with his friends.

"All three of you should come over this summer," he began, and at the look on Draco's face added, "yes, even you Malfoy. You're one of us now too, I guess."

They all promised to send owls, and Draco ran back up to his parents. His mother said a brief goodbye to the Weasleys, and then they headed out of King's cross, to whatever the summer held in store.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I would like to apologize for both the length and the paragraph that was Dumbledore's speech. I'm sorry. It's nearly double the other chapters too.


End file.
